Nancy Delores Borson, 79, passed away at home in Duluth, with her children by her side on Monday, April 22, 2019. She was born February 4, 1940, to Rudolf and Myrtle (Vold) Caple in International Falls, Minn., where she attended grade school and graduated high school in 1958 as salutatorian of her class. Nancy went on to graduate from St. Olaf College with a degree in chemistry.
After college, she went to work at Wilderness Canoe Base on Seagull Lake where she met Vernon M. Borson, and the two were married on July 27, 1963. Together, they had three children.
In 1978, Vern and Nancy moved down the trail to Grand Marais full time where Nancy worked at ISD 166 and then took a position with the U.S. Postal Service. After her sons graduated high school in 1987 and knowing that she didn’t want to stuff letters into little boxes the rest of her career, Nancy returned to college and earned a Ph.D. in molecular bio-chemistry in 1994.
At age 54, Nancy began a successful career doing medical research at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. In 2010, she retired to Duluth where she loved gardening, hiking, rosemaling, and woodcarving. Nancy helped establish the Knotty Carvers Woodcarving Club where she also taught carving classes.
Nancy was preceded in death by her parents, husband Vern, infant son David, and sister Susan.
She is survived by her daughter Beret (Brett) Nelson, Fairbanks, Ak.; son Peter (Nichole) Borson, Schroeder; son Jim (Michelle) Borson, Hermantown, Minn.; brothers Jerry (Sharon) Caple and Ron (Abett) Caple; eight grandchildren; many nieces and nephews; and a great-grandchild due in May.
A gathering of friends and family will take place at the Proctor Area Community Center (PACC) in Proctor, Minn. on Saturday, May 11, from 12-2 p.m. with another service in Grand Marais to be planned later this summer. Memorials may be sent to Wilderness Canoe Base and Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Grand Marais.
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